From MIKE ROWE
I was surprised to read that ‘tornadoes do not occur in Europe’ (Feedback,
10 February). Although popularly associated with the US, tornadoes occur
in most parts of the world. Work by the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation
(TORRO) has shown that in Britain tornadoes are roughly as common per unit
area as in the US, although the US ones are in general more severe.
TORRO also has a considerable number of reports from other European
countries. A few of these tornadoes were severe even by US standards. Indeed,
two French F5 tornadoes (the most violent category on the Fujita scale,
and rare even in the US) were in the extreme north of the country, suggesting
that tornadoes of this intensity could occur in Britain.
Mike Rowe TORRO Lymington, Hampshire
